Kaiser earns Business of the Year title from Vacaville Chamber

Max Villalobos, Kaiser's Senior Vice President and CEO in Solano and Napa, takes a tour of Kaiser Vacaville's new labor and delivery wing during its grand opening. The news facility is part of the reason Kaiser was named Vacaville's Business of the Year on Monday by the local Chamber of Commerce.

The Vacaville Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors has selected Kaiser Permanente as its 2013-14 Business of the Year.

The choice, according to Mark Creffield, the Chamber's president and CEO, was an easy one.

"Kaiser Permanente proves their commitment to the community through leadership and involvement; various partnerships with community organizations that extend far beyond the Chamber," he said. "I am really excited for them."

Kaiser Permanente has been a major supporter of the Vacaville Chamber of Commerce for many years -- participating in and hosting Chamber functions, contributing to the financial goals of local businesses and encouraging employees to join, serve and chair Chamber committees.

It's a commitment that goes back to 1946 when Kaiser Permanente opened its first hospital in Vallejo and continues today in their mission to provide high quality, affordable health care services and improve the total health of the members and communities they serve, Creffield noted.

"Our commitment to our communities is an integral part of who we are as a not-for-profit health care provider," said Max Villalobos, hospital administrator for Kaiser Permanente in Napa and Solano counties.

"We are proud to be honored by the Vacaville Chamber as their Business of the Year," he continued. "Since we opened our Vacaville Medical Center in 2009, we've felt tremendous support from the Vacaville community in our efforts to deliver high-quality care to the residents of Solano County.

"That support was especially strong in 2013 when our Vacaville Medical Center was designated as Solano County's only level II trauma center. And then again just a month or so later when we opened our Family Birth Center, also at our Vacaville Medical Center. The support of the community, especially the business community, was crucial to both of these initiatives."

Kaiser Permanente will be honored at the Vacaville Chamber's Annual Dinner being held on May 2. Kaiser Permanente will also be the Vacaville Chamber's recipient of the "Spirit of Solano" award that will be presented at this annual event in December.